Look For These Modern Customer Service Features in Auto Repair Shop Software

While it might not seem too obvious at first, there’s a unique opportunity for independent repair shops to enter the digital age. With the right tools for the job, auto repair shops can meet customer expectations at every step of the way, from texting inspection findings right to customers down to cardless payment options.

With the right features, independent auto repair shops can work faster, smarter, and more efficiently, while delivering the amazing customer service we’ve all come to expect.

1. Cloud-Based Shop Management

Owners may have never really thought of it this way before, but relying on some old-school system to run their shop, manage repairs, order parts, stock inventory, and keep track of all their finances is just making things so much harder.

What is Cloud-Based Shop Management?

Cloud-based shop management systems combines all the standard aspects of running an auto repair shop and tracking cars as they flow through the repair process in a modern software solution.

Cloud-based access means instant communication, no matter where you are. Think about it this way, you don't have to check your home computer to see what your friends and family are up to online. But, no matter where you access your profiles, all your data, conversations, likes, and feed are always the same.

How Cloud-Based Shop Management Modernizes Your Shop

With a cloud-based shop management system, service advisors and technicians can collaborate with ease. Service advisors can get a birds-eye view of every stage of the repair process without having to interrupt technicians.

As technicians progress and complete repairs, the software will reflect that. Armed with that information, service advisors can then contact guests to update them.

2. Enhanced Digital Authorization 

Records are important for any business, and shops are no exception. Having a record of who signed what, and when, can come to your rescue in the event of a customer dispute. And because these are digital records, you won’t misplace them as you might paper records. 

What Is Enhanced Digital Authorization? 

Enhanced digital authorization creates an accurate record of customer authorization history and the details of different repair orders in a system. Customers can digitally sign off on repairs, and your repair shop software will capture their signatures. 

How Enhanced Digital Authorization Modernizes Your Shop 

Enhanced digital authorization modernizes your shop by ditching the old pen-and-paper approach for a digital signature. Customers don’t even have to stop by your shop, and service advisors don’t have hope to make a phone call and catch customers when they’re available: just instantly text or email the estimate for instant approval.

Additionally, digital authorization protects your shop from liability in the event of a customer dispute by maximizing your visibility of key authorization details (like the phone number of the service advisor who sent the repair order). 

Your shop can get approval from customers in a matter of seconds, and customers can have the convenience of handling the process on their time.

3. Digital Vehicle Inspections

Digital vehicle inspections solve the problems that come with paper inspections, like unclear handwriting, lost pages, lack of trust, and more.

What Are DVIs?

Digital vehicle inspections are vehicle inspections adapted for the modern age. Customers can see photos and videos of exactly what’s wrong with their vehicles, see the urgency of each proposed repair, and approve or decline jobs directly from their smartphones. 

How DVIs Modernize Your Shop 

With digital vehicle inspections, technicians can build inspections on their smartphones or tablets. From there, service advisors can build estimates and send them directly to customers’ smartphones. 

Customers can then approve or decline jobs on the go. In short, digital vehicle inspections move the approval process along faster and minimize the chances of any miscommunications between your team and your customers. In turn, your team can build greater trust with customers, enabling them to sell more work. 

4. Shared Customer History

No matter what major big box retailer you walk in, no matter where in the country, if they have multiple locations they'll have a history of every purchase you've made.

We don't even really think about it, but that creates a seamless experience. Customers can expect the same level of care and service no matter where they visit.

What is Shared Customer History?

Tekmetric Multi-Shop Shared Customer History allows users to connect customers across shops and view the history of those customers across all locations within their organization in Tekmetric.

How and Why Shared Customer History Modernizes Your Shop

Shared Customer History in Tekmetric enables multi-shop organizations to create that same experience in their organizations.

With just a few clicks, shop owners and general managers can quickly add customers from one shop location to another without actually typing out all their information again.

This means shops can provide a seamless customer experience across all locations and easily maintain customer information without worrying about duplicating entries.

5. Default Inspections

Vehicle inspections are perhaps the most critical part of the repair process. After the customer stops by and describes the problem, it’s on your shop to investigate the claims, determine the cause, and recommend the next steps to get the customer back on the road.

Modern shop management systems let Service Advisors build out multiple inspection templates to help save time, and some go even further like Tekmetric enabling default inspections.

What are Default Inspections?

With default inspections, Tekmetric Users can set a default inspection template to automatically apply to newly created repair orders. Simplify workflows, and gain back time, all while delivering the same great experience to customers every time.

How Default Inspections Modernize Your Shop

Service advisors won’t have to spend time searching for your shop’s standard inspection every time they build a new repair order.

Plus, technicians will have a standardized inspection to work off of, ensuring that every vehicle is thoroughly inspected to the same standard with the same level of care. 

Free up service advisor time so they can focus less on a computer screen, and more on the customer they're servicing.